Metro Transit

Metropolitan Council

About this app

Make transit trips in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area as mobile as you are with the official Metro Transit app. Now you can plan your trip, see departure information for buses and trains, and buy transit tickets all on the go! Just download the free app, create an account with your method of payment, and get moving.

The Metro Transit app is a tool to make riding the bus, METRO system and Northstar in the Twin Cities a little bit easier. After you’ve identified your desired trip and transit departure time, you can buy and use Metro Transit mobile tickets right from your smartphone – it’s like having a ticket machine right in your pocket!

KEY FEATURES:
Find the right bus, light rail, or train for you through the Trip Planner.
See the next available bus, light rail, or train for your desired trip with NexTrip.
Pay a single fare or multiple fares for a group of riders, and store multiple tickets on your phone for future use.
Simply create an account and enter your credit/debit card information in our secure system.
If you’re looking to pay with cash, you can use a pre-paid debit card or pre-paid gift card.

HOW IT WORKS:
1. SELECT RIDER TYPE: Adult, Senior/Youth/Medicare, Mobility, Family
2. SELECT SERVICE: Local Bus/METRO, Express Bus, or Northstar
3. SELECT: Station for Northstar or time-based fare for Bus/METRO
4. CHECKOUT: Pay with Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, pre-paid debit or gift card, or Apple Pay

COMMON QUESTIONS:
Do I need to be connected?
An internet connection is required create an account, sign-in and purchase and activate tickets,

What if my battery dies?
Just like with paper tickets, you're responsible for making sure you have a valid fare at all times, so be sure to plan ahead!

IMPORTANT REMINDERS:
• Activate your ticket when you see your bus or train approaching. Your ticket must be activated before boarding a vehicle.
• Watch your battery level... Just like with paper tickets, you're responsible for making sure you have a valid fare at all times.

Ratings and reviews

It's fine, but it won't replace your Go-To card. The only built-in function is purchasing and showing temporary passes. Everything else in the "Tools" tab just re-routes you to the website. It's organized, but there's no way to save route schedules or planned trips for offline use. You also can't use your Go-To card from the app, or even apply the funds from it to a temporary pass. The app doesn't claim to do these things, but makes the app less helpful for regular riders. Edit: same after 3yrs.

app crashes if you have any sort of interruption in wifi service. can also take an extremely long time to load, which is a huge problem when you're in a hurry. this is disappointing and extremely frustrating, as this app really is essential if you plan on taking public transit regularly.

The good news is that this app has come a long way in the past year. It's actually mostly functional now, and I'd argue more reliable than my GoTo card. There's still room for improvement though: like a running notification when you have an active fare to quickly summon your pass, the ability to "bookmark" certain stops or routes for quick access, or simply a way to prioritize NexTrip over the trip planner. A great step forward though!

What's new

Fixed an issue where an extra ticket is added to the cart when selecting a recent purchase